Phrases & Vocabulary

Eating

A table for one person/two people, please.
Una mesa para una persona/dos personas, por favor. (OO-nah MAY-sah pah-rah OO-nah pehr-SOH-nah / dohss pehr-SOH-nahs pohr fah- BOHR)

Can I look at the menu, please?
¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor? (PWAY-doh behr ehl meh-NOO pohr fah-BOHR?)

Can I look in the kitchen?
¿Puedo entrar a la cocina?

Is there a house specialty?
¿Hay alguna especialidad de la casa?

Is there a local specialty?
¿Hay alguna especialidad regional/de la zona?

I'm a vegetarian.
Soy vegetariano/a.

I don't eat pork.
No como cerdo.

I only eat kosher food.
Sólo como comida kosher. (In a restaurant they will stare at you, since "kosher" is as Spanish as "empanada" is English.)

Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
¿Puede poner poca aceite/poca mantequilla/poca grasa?

fixed-price meal
menú del día

a la carte
a la carta

breakfast
desayuno

lunch
comida (Spain, Mexico), almuerzo (South America)

supper
cena (everywhere), comida (South America)

I want _____.
Quiero _____.

I want a dish containing _____.
Quisiera un plato que lleve _____.

chicken
pollo. (POH-yoh)

beef
ternera (tehr-NEH-rah), vacuno (bah-KOO-noh), res (rehss)

fish
pescado (pehs-KAH-doh)

ham
jamón (hah-MOHN)

sausage
salchicha (sahl-CHEE-chah), vienesa (byeh-NAY-sah)

cheese
queso

eggs
huevos

salad
ensalada

(fresh) vegetables
verdura (fresca)

(fresh) fruit
fruta (fresca)

bread
pan

toast
tostada

noodles
fideos

rice
arroz

beans
alubias , porotos, frijoles, judías, habichuelas

May I have a glass of _____?
¿Me puede poner/traer un vaso de _____?

May I have a cup of _____?
¿Me puede poner/traer una taza de _____?

May I have a bottle of _____?
¿Me puede poner/traer una botella de _____?

coffee
café

tea (drink)
té

juice
zumo , jugo

water
agua

(bubbly) water
agua con gas (if you say agua, is without gas); Agua mineral is bottled water with gas, unless you ask for agua mineral sin gas.

beer
cerveza

red/white wine
vino tinto/blanco

May I have some _____?
¿Me puede dar un poco de _____?

salt
sal

black pepper
pimienta

butter
mantequilla , manteca (in Argentina)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
¡camarero!, ¡mesero! (preferred)

I'm finished.
He acabado, terminé (The first phrase can refer to the finishing of a completely unrelated physiological activity)

It was delicious.
Estaba delicioso.

Please clear the plates.
Puede llevarse los platos.

The check, please.
La cuenta, por favor.

Note that in Chile you must ask for the check. A gringo was known to have waited until 2 in the morning because he was too shy to ask :-)